Birth Date: September 22,1958
Birth Place: Lajatico, Tuscany, Italy

Andrea Bocelli, Grande Ufficiale OMRI (born 22 September 1958) is a five-time Classical Brit winner and three-time Grammy nominated Italian tenor. Since his debut album Il mare calmo della sera, released in 1994, he has recorded over 22 pop and classical albums, including seven complete operas, five of which have made it to the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart, and a record-setting 7 have made it to No. 1, on the US Classical albums charts. He has sold over 60 million albums worldwide and is widely regarded as the most popular Italian singer in the world. In a 2008 Opinion poll, Classic FM (UK) listeners and Radio Times readers voted Bocelli the Nation's 3rd favourite male singer, higher than any other non-British artist, including Opera legends, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and José Carreras.

Teatro del Silenzio at Lajatico, TuscanyBocelli was born in Lajatico, Tuscany, Italy, about 40 km south of Pisa, in 1958, to parents Alessandro and Edi Bocelli, and grew up on the family farm. It was evident at birth that he had problems with his sight, and after visits to many doctors Bocelli was diagnosed with glaucoma. In 1970, at the age of 12, he completely lost his sight after an accident during a football (soccer) game. As a young boy, Bocelli showed a great passion for music. His mother, Edi, has said that music was the only thing that would comfort him. At the age of six he started piano lessons before he also learned to play the flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, harp, guitar and drums. Bocelli would also spend time singing during his childhood and would later recall that he was "one of those children who would always be asked to sing for my relatives. I don't think one really decides to be a singer - other people decide it for you by their reactions." At the age of 14 he won his first song competition, the Margherita d'Oro in Viareggio with O sole mio. After he finished secondary school, in 1980, he studied Law at the University of Pisa. He then graduated as a Doctor of Laws and spent one year as a court appointed lawyer. To earn money Bocelli performed evenings in piano bars. It was there, in 1987, that he met his future wife, Enrica.

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